


Vale-in-time's Day

by firerwolf



Series: Spartan Love [5]
Category: Halo (Video Games) & Related Fandoms
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-23
Updated: 2018-02-23
Packaged: 2019-03-22 18:32:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13770042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/firerwolf/pseuds/firerwolf
Summary: Blue Team and Osiris discuss Valintine's Day.





	Vale-in-time's Day

Buck eyed the bouquet of strange alien flowers which sat on the stone table where Palmer had tossed them. "Secret admirer?" he asked, looking over the collection of brown, purple, and green blossoms. "Or death threat?"

"Admirer, but not a secret one," Palmer answered as she sat down in a chair to join the other Spartans.

In the last few months the two fireteams and their commander had made an area for themselves in the corner of one of Vadam Keep’s training yards. They’d procured a few tables and used some empty crates as well as stone chairs for seating. Not the most comfortable place, but it was somewhere the Spartans could meet while waiting for new intel or to get a little rest in between their daily duties.

"Vel gave me them for Vale-in-time's day," Palmer said, being careful to copy the Sangheili’s pronunciation of the word. "I'm going to kill whichever of you told him about it."

"I may have explained the holiday to another Sangheili and been overheard," Buck admitted cautiously. "Not that I knew he was listening."

"Apparently you did an awful job of explaining it, as he didn't give her any chocolate," Locke said. "How do you have Valentine's Day and not have chocolate?"

"You the kind of guy who just wants some sweets from his sweets?" Buck asked, putting his hands behind his head and he leaned back in his chair.

"I'm a chocolate man. No flowers and no other candies accepted. Though not even a lot of chocolate, just a small package is all I need. Something I can smuggle in my footlocker so I can enjoy them when I want a little slice of home."

"That's really sweet," Vale commented as she sipped her glass of water. "Personally, a bouquet will sweep me off my feet...But not roses. They're overrated. Get me a half dozen lilies however, and I'm putty."

"Make a note of that, everyone. You need a favor from Vale, lilies are the way to sway," Tanaka joked.

"And what makes you melt, hmm?" Vale asked, motioning to her female teammate. "What makes Tanaka's Valentine's Day perfect?"

"None of that material stuff," Tanaka answered. "All I need is some take-out, something to watch, and my partner. Quality personal time is all I want on a day that's supposed to be about you and someone you love."

"That sounds like a good time," Buck agreed. "I usually spend the day with Veronica, but take her out to dinner either the weekend before or after; when they don't have their scam prices." He paused for a moment. "But you know, there's something I'd really love to know."

"Which would be what?" Tanaka asked.

Buck turned to look to at the members of Blue Team, who were seated at the other end of the table from Osiris. "What do you get a Spartan-II for Valentine's Day?"

"Depends on the Spartan," Kelly answered. "If you want to woo Linda, I'd suggest four clips of sniper ammo, a Nornfang, and a slot on the firing range."

"I'm not that expensive of a date," Linda interjected. "Two clips and a normal SRS 99-S5 will do."

Buck shrugged at the information and looked to Fred. "What about you, Lieutenant? What would make your day?"

Fred hesitated, clearly uncomfortable. "My mate already got me a gift," he informed them.

"What'd she get you?" Vale asked.

"Kindness," Fred answered, though he looked as if that wasn't quite the right word for what he meant. "My relationship with her is sort of complicated. She gave me softness, and it's the prefect gift."

"I really don't get you Spartan-IIs," Tanaka muttered. Vale gave her a disapproving look and she just shrugged. "I'm sure they don’t always get us either. Besides, we all know we just want to hear what the Master Chief's answer is."

"He takes a part of the chocolate bar that we usually share among the team," Kelly responded. "But he's not partial to the holiday."

"Really?" Buck asked, a bit shocked. "Why not?"

"I believe that the idea of a loving relationship shouldn't be focused on for just one day," John replied. "Nor do I need a holiday as an excuse to express that I appreciate the one I love."

"Didn't expect such a sentimental answer," Locke commented.

"Most people don't expect Spartan-IIs to be able to love," Kelly pointed out. "Though his expressions of it would fall under the umbrella of things you wouldn't understand about us."

"And under things that I don't feel comfortable discussing," John added.

Buck placed his hands up in surrender. "Say no more. I don't really want to know what sort of hard-core kinks a Spartan-II has."

"I think that falls under things we don't understand," Linda said with slight frown. "Though I feel like we're lucky not to know."

"Depends on your personal taste," Tanaka said with a mischievous smirk.

"Yeah, over our heads," Linda reiterated.

"What about you, Commander?" Locke asked, turning his attention to Palmer. "What do you and your husband do for Valentine's Day?"

The smile on Palmer's face faded and she crossed her arms across her chest, putting up a barrier. "Doesn’t matter. He's not here."

There was a moment of awkward silence following her defensive response, and no one seemed sure how to pick up the conversation from there. "We should ask Kathleen if the Sangheili have anything that's similar to chocolate to share between us all," Kelly finally suggested, breaking the stalemate.

"That's a great idea," Fred said, standing up. "I'll also check to see if the scouting groups are back, and if the Arbiter has anything he needs us to do."

"Good initiative," John said as he stood as well. "The rest of us will make sure that our supplies are prepped. Once those scouts have made their reports, we should have enough information to be able to escort the Arbiter's envoys without much trouble." The other Spartans stood and split off in different directions to go check over their equipment.

As John set to assessing the Spartans' weapon stockpile, Kelly joined him. She reached for an assault rifle to examine it, and as John moved to take the gun beside it his hand lightly brushed her own.

Kelly let the touch linger for a moment, and smiled at him. "Definitely something they wouldn't understand," she said softly before picking up one of the rifles. John simply smiled in return as he proceeded to inspect the weapon in his hands.


End file.
